Typewriter support



J. W. PAXTON ET TYPEWRITER SUPPORT Filed Nov. 27, 1941 H lllll 'inches. That is to Patented May 28, 1946 PATENT. OFFICE ,.'TYPEWRITER SUPPORT i John Warren Paxtonloomington, and Irving Richard Cornish, Elmhurst, Ill.

Application November 27, 1941, Serial No. 420,683

Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in supports. It relates particularly to means for supporting in convenient operating position such office appliances as are normally used by a person when seated. For example, typewriters, calculati' ingmmachines, dictaphones,` etc. It has been found that the average individual, when seated in a chair at normal height, requires for writing purposes adesk having its supporting surface elevated from the floor a` distance of about thirty inches, whereas, when operating a machine such as a typewriter or comptometer, the table or other support on which the appliance is located should be at an elevation of about twenty-six of an ordinary desk.

The purpose of our invention is to provide a .Y

Aobject is to provide such an arrangement which can be applied to an ordinary desk without any need to employ a mechanic to apply the attach-fA ment. Further objects in general are to provide means for safely and securely locking and clamping the support in proper position on the desk whereby vibration caused by the operation of the appliance will not have any adverse effect upon the stability or rigidity of the support or the appliance which is mounted thereon.

In the drawing accompanying this application, and which shows certain preferred embodiments of said invention:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the front of a desk to which our attachment has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of said attachment before applying the same to the desk;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of said attachment;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig.3;

Fig. `5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig`.4:

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modified form of clamping arrangement;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional plan of a desk equipped with a further modied form of locking or clamping arrangement; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawing, it will be observed that the desk illustrated isV of the typewhich normallyis equipped with a horizontally sliding4 7"10 `According to our invention,

say, an appliance support should :be about four inches lower than the top 25 backplate I4, ybraces panel serving asa writing shelf, and indicated indotted lines at I0 in Fig. 4. When said shelf I0 is to be used, it is extended in the position shown in Fig. 4, and, when it is not in use, the custom is to slide .the same rearwardly `into a horizontal inwardly extending recess in the desk. Said writing shelf Ii) is, however, too high for any extensive use as a support` for an appliance of the character referred to.

the writing shelf or panel I0 is drawn outiof the recess I I in which it is normally located, and discarded. The recess I Ifrom which panel III has `been removed is then -made use of in order-to enable our improved support to be attached orapplied to the desk.

The attachment comprises a horizontal shelf I2, the upper supporting surface of which is of suiicient `area to accommodate the largest appliance which'it isdesigned to support, and pref- 20. erably the outer margin of the shelf is made with `a 'rim I3 which prevents the appliance or other objects'from sliding or rolling thereon or therefrom. Asshown best in Figs. 2 and 4, the shelf part I2 is carried cantilever fashion by a vertical I5 serving to reinforce the structure. Behind the back plate I4, and extending along the upper margin thereof, there is rigidly secured by any suitable means, for eX- ample screws I6 (see Fig. 3), a rectangular frame '0 comprising side pieces I'I and I 8 and a rear piece I9, said frame being conveniently constructed of angle iron. The vertical `cross section of the horizontal'frame composed of the members Il, I8 and I'9 is of course rectangular and the frame 35 is of such dimensions that it will slip freely into the recess II through the opening in the front of desk into the position from which the panel I0 has been removed. However, we find it advisable to provide means for locking and clamp- 40 ing the said extension frame, composed of members Il, I8 and I9, into said recess II `Said locking or clamping arrangements preferably include means notonly for holding or drawing the back plate Ifi tightly against the `front surface of the desk, but also, in certain instances, it may be desirable to provide means for exerting vertical pressure upon said extension frame, within the recess, so as to prevent chattering or other undesirable effects due to the necessity of making the extension frame of less vertical cross section than the opening in the front ofthe desk, in order to permit easy inser- Vvtionl thereof without mechanical fitting. 'How- 551ever,d`epending upon conditions, a singleform vof the extension Y vwith the insertion of said extension intorecess Y 22, there is locatedwithin outwardly through the back plate I4 and are provided with cor-.operating heads 24 and 25. Upon the screws 2| and 22 there are threaded cooperating lugs or turnbuckles 26 and, 21, as shown best in Figs. 4 and 5. Said lugs or turnbuckles 26 and 21 are narrow enough so that when they are rotated into a position where the major dimension of the lug is horizontal, it is wholly accommodated within the cross section thereof and. does, not interfere II. However, when the extension has been inserted, the lugs 26 and 21are then turned into the `position shown in Fig. 5. VThe screws .2| and 22 are operated by turning heads 24 and 25, and the lugs 26 and 21, which are not permitted to revolve, are thus .caused to travel Voutwardly along the screws 2| and 22. Said lugs 26 andl21 are of such length that, in the position shown. in Figs.

4 and 5, their lower endswill engage against the shoulder formed by the rear face of the frame bar'28, which forms the lower wallor side or the front part of the recess Il, Ordinarily, of course, the recess II is entirely open? Vat the bottom, inwardly of frameY bar r28, so

that there is no difficulty in accommodating the depending lower. ends of the lugs 26 and 21.

Turning nowvto the vertical Vpressure applying means, it Will be seen 3, 4 and/5 that, `inaddition tothe screws 2| and the extension a similar central screw 29 upon which there is threaded a nut or screwrblock 30 which is not adapted to rotate with the screw, but will be causedgto advance inwardly or outwardly when the said screw V.'9 is turned. Saidnut or block 30 is provided with an inclined upper surface as shownv at 3|,

Y which cooperates with a correspondingly inclined lowersurface 32 of a tapered wedge block or slide 33. Said wedge block 33 is ofv suiiicient area that it will engage parts of the under surface of the top wall or side of the recess II and will be forced against the same tightly when the screw 29 is operated to draw the screw block 3!) outwardly. This arrangement thus serves to apply vertical pressure downwardly upon the extension when the latter is located within the recess.

In Fig. 6, I have shown an arrangement particularly usable in connection with steel desks. In that modified form of the device, the lugs or turnbuckles 23 and 21 and their actuating means may be made substantially the same as in the previous described form. However, in the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, the upper wall of the recess I I is made with a rectangular enlargement 34 and thus forms a shoulder 35 serving as an abutment for cooperating with the upstanding ends of the said lugs or turnbuckles.

Inrthe arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the lugs or turnbuckles are arranged to cooperate with the vertically extending corner members 36 and 31. With this arrangement, the screws 2| and 22 are more widely spaced than isshown by an examination of Figs--Y inner ends being journalled in back member 38 of the extenvthe turnbuckles are turned so as to bring their operative ends outside of the normal boundaries of the extension so as to enable said lugs to engage andclamp against the inwardly facing shoulder in the recess.

We claim:

l. Means for supporting an office appliance at less than normal desk height upon a desk of normal height provided with a recess normally adapted to house a horizontal writing panel and having an opening in the iront of the desk communicating with said recess and through which saidpanel maybe arranged to slide, comprising `a member adapted to extend outwardly and horizontally from the front of the desk and having a portion for supporting an applianceat a level lower than the bottom of said opening, a vertically extending back member secured to the inner end of saidy memberand extending upwardly therefrom, a horizontally extending Y, extension member connected to the back of said back member adjacent the upper edge of the latter and arranged to be inserted through said'openinginto said recess, the desk having inwardlyY and' outwardly facing portions adjacent saidurecessand opening, said back member being engageable with an outwardly facingportion ofwthe desk to limit insertion of said extension into said recessLa horizontally extending screw member positioned in said extension and operable from the front of said back member, and'means actuated by said screw member and engageable with an inwardly, facing portion of the desk adjacent said recess for cooperating with said back member to lock'the appliancesupporting means in place Von the desk.

2. Means for supporting an ofce appliance at less than normal desk height upon a desk of normal height provided with a' recessV normally adapted to house a horizontal writing panel, said recess, at a point behind the front, being larger in cross section than the opening in the front so as to provide a rear Yardly facing "abutment, and there being an opening in the front of the desk communicating with said recess and through which said panel may bearranged to slide, comprising a member adapted to extend outwardly and horizontally from the front of the desk and having a portion for supporting an appliance at a level lower than the bottom of saidV opening, a vertically extending back member secured to the inner end of -said member and extending upwardly therefrom,` a horizontally extending extension member connected to the back of said back meinber adjacent the upper edge ofthe latter and arranged to be inserted through said opening into said recess, said back member bein-g engageable with a portion of the front of the desk to limit insertion oi said extension into said recess, a horizontally extendingscrew member positioned in said extension and operable from the front of Y less than normal desk height upon a writing desk 'the desk having inwardly extending recess in the front of the desk, outwardly and inwardlyI facing surface portions adjacent said recess, said recess being normally adapted to house a horizontal panel which is arranged to slide outwardly from a housed position in said recess to a writing shelf position, comprising a member adapted to extend outwardly and horizontally from said desk front and having an appliance-supporting surface at lower than-normal 'desk height level, a part rigid with said member and insertable into said recess,` means engageable with'said outwardly facingldesk portion for limiting insertion of said part into said recess', `and adjustable locln'ng means carried by said extension for engaging an interior portion of the desk for locking said extension in said recess, said adjustable means embodying an element operable from the exterior of the front of the desk for adjusting said locking means. v

4. Means for supporting an office appliance at less than normal desk height upon a writing desk of normal height provided with a horizontally and inwardly extending recess in the front of the desk, the desk having outwardly and inwardly facing surface portions adjacent said recess, said recess being normally adapted to house a horizontal panel which is arranged to slide outwardly from a housed position in said recess to a writing shelf position, comprising a member adapted to extend outwardly and horizontally from said desk front and having an appliance-supporting surface at lower than normal desk height level, a part rigid with said member and insertable into said recess, means engageable with said outwardly facing desk portion for limiting insertion of said part into said recess, and screw actuated clamping means for locking said part in said recess, said clamping means embodying an element which is adjustable from an inoperative position substantially within the thickness of said part, in which inoperative position said part and clamping means are insertable into said recess, to an operative position projecting from said part for engagement with said inwardly facing surface portion of the desk.

5. Means for supporting an ollce appliance at less than normal desk height upon a writing desk of normal height provided with a horizontalllr and inwardly extending recess in the front of the desk, the desk having outwardly and inwardly facing surface portions adjacent said recess, said recess being normally adapted to house a horizontal panel which is arranged to slide outwardly from a housed position in said recess to a writing shelf position, comprising a member adapted to extend outwardly and horizontally from said desk front and having an appliance-supporting surface at a level lower than the bottom of said recess, a part rigid with said member and insertable into said recess, and means for locking said part in said recess comprising relatively adjustable means for engaging said outwardly and inwardly facing surface portions and screw actuated means for applying vertical pressure to a wall of said recess to lock said part against vertical movement in the recess.

6. Means for supporting an office appliance at less than normal desk height upon a writing desk of normal height provided with a horizontally and inwardly extending recess in the front of the desk, the desk having outwardly and inwardly facing surface portions adjacent said recess, said recess being normally adapted to house a horizontal panel which is arranged to slide outwardly 'from ahousedposition in said recess toa writing shelfposition, comprising a member adapted to extend outwardly and horizontally from the front of the desk and having a portion for supporting an appliance at a level which is lower than the face portions to lock said part Yinsubstantially l5 v fixed position insaid recess to thereby maintain said appliance-support' g portion in fixed, operative position on a desk. v

'7. An oflice appliance supporting shelf structure adapted to be attached to a desk in the place of a member which is slidable inwardly and outwardly in a recess in the desk, such desk having outwardly, inwardly, upwardly and downwardly facing surface portions adjacent said recess,`said structure embodying a shelf part which is adapted to project outwardly from the desk, a mounting part rigid with said lshelf part which is insertable into a desk recess normally occupied by a slidable member as aforesaid, said mounting part having horizontally spaced portions respectively adapted to engage upwardly and downwardly facing surface portions of the desk adjacent said recess, an abutment carried by the structure for engaging said outwardly facing surface portion to limit insertion of said mounting part into said recess, and adjustable means carried by said mounting part within its thickness and insertable with said part into said recess, said adjustable means being movable from the said position wholly within the thickness of said part, to a projecting position relative thereto,

Y for engaging said inwardly facing surface portion of the desk to lock said extension in said recess, said adjustable means including actuating means accessible on an exposed portion of the appliance when said mounting part is inserted in the desk recess for effecting adjustment of said locking means into cooperative relation to said inside deskA portion.

8. An office appliance supporting shelf structure adapted to be attached to a desk in the place of a member which is slidable inwardly and outwardly in a recess in the desk, said desk having outwardly and inwardly facing surface portions adjacent said recess, said structure embodying a shelf part which is adapted to project outwardly from the desk, a mounting part rigid with said shelf part and insertable into a desk recess normally occupied by a slidable member as aforesaid, an abutment for engaging said outwardly facing surface portion to limit insertion of said mountingV part in said recess, and adjustable means carried by said mounting part within its thickness and insertable with'said part into said recess, said adjustable means being movable from the said position wholly within the thickness of said part, to a projecting position relative thereto for engaging said inwardly facing surface portion of the desk to lock said part in said recess, said adjustable means including actuating means accessible on an exposed portion of the appliance when said part is inserted in the desk recess for effecting adjustment of said locking means into Y for a slidable part and provided With'airnember extending across the top of said space adjacent the entrance thereto, and having a rearwardlyY facing surface, the device comprising a shelf member, a mounting part rigidly connected to said shelf member, said part being of width relative to the Width of said shelf member and extending rearwardly relative to the latter, said part being adapted to be inserted into said desk space, the device having rearwardly facing shoulders on opposite s1des thereof for engaging the front of the desk, said rearwardly extending part having an underside portion adapted to rest on the lower wall of saidentrance, andfmeans for locking the device in place on the desk comprising a member projecting upwardly from said rearwardly extending part for engaging said rearwardly facing surface of said member which extends across the top of said space.

-' l0. An attachment for supporting an oiiice appliance on a desk having in its front an opening normally receiving a slidable desk part, the desk structure having parts which provide inwardly reduced JOHN WARREN PAXTON. IRVING RICHARD CORNISH. 

